such important stuff (oil, invasions, lies & democracy)

 .. sooo little time ...

   .. but if I don't do it ...

     .. who will? (As if anyone would care.)

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[Designed as comment to Pipelinestan (but .gt. 4095 chars)]

I present the following in publication order, not order of importance. (IMHO, the most important theme is survival (at all costs, i.e. as highest priority, avoid a possibly terminal climate catastrophe); after that comes living in peace = justice via truth (NO WAR!)) The 'snips' I give can only ever be indicative; although it's a lot, it should *all* be read - but suit yourself, as ever. Onwards:

1) Ankara, Moscow and Washington in the Eurasian Pipeline Calculus
By F. William Engdahl
17 June 2009
  «Calculus has two main variants - derivative and integral. The Eurasian energy pipeline geopolitics between Turkey Washington and Moscow today has elements of both. It is highly derivative in that the major actors across Central Asia from China, Russia to Turkey are very engaged in a derived power game which has less to do with any specific state and more to do with maintaining Superpower hegemony for Washington. Integral as the de facto motion of various pipeline projects now underway or in discussion across Eurasia hold the potential to integrate the economic space of Eurasia in a way that poses a fundamental challenge to Washington’s projection of Full Spectrum Dominance over the greatest land mass on earth.» 
[oilgeopolitics/Engdahl]

My comment: Note the keywords, "power game" & "Full Spectrum Dominance." Petroleum (oil, gas) is useless 'in the ground' (except as in being conserved for the future); it is being 'dug up' and burned - everywhere, by everybody (fastest!) Either 'fair' markets (i.e. sharing) or 'free' markets (i.e. highest bidder) - would be arguably "OK" - but 'murder for spoil' simply isn't.

2) West’s Afghan War and Drive into Caspian Sea Basin
By Rick Rozoff
July 10, 2009
  «The Pentagon and its NATO allies have launched the largest combat offensive to date in their nearly eight-year war in South Asia - Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword) with 4,000 US Marines, attack helicopters and tanks and Operation Panchai Palang (Panther's Claw) with several hundred British engaged in airborne assaults - in the Afghan province of Helmand. The American effort is the largest ground combat operation conducted by Washington in Asia since the Vietnam War.» 
[globalpolicy/Rozoff]

My comment: Note the keywords, "West’s Afghan War" & "The American effort." In actual fact, there are several countries 'fighting' (= illegally invading, see 'Nuremberg') - alongside the US, including (to our great shame) Aus. But Q: "WHY?" See the use of "West." The AusBC does the same, as in "The West worries that Iran is building an A-bomb." (IF Iranian bomb THEN defensive *only*.) I scream: why do other countries associate with the (vile, criminal & murdering-to-steal) US anyway? Where is truth, honour & justice?

3) Our Wartime Propaganda
By Seumas Milne
"The Guardian" - July 13, 2009
  «From the way official Britain pontificates about the war in Afghanistan, you'd never know that most British people want troops withdrawn by the end of the year and only a minority have supported the US-led campaign for years.» 
[ICH/guardian/Milne]

My comment: We can assume the same or similar obtains here in Aus; why else did we see a 'bipartisan' show of support for 'our boys' continuing to murder for spoil in Afghanistan on the AusBC (& other-wheres) last week? Q: Did the AusBC comment? A: No, of course not (the AusBC are part of the c-word of lying propaganda being perpetrated on us, we the sheople.) Note: 'bipartisan' anything is *deeply* undemocratic - it gives us, the electors, *ABSOLUTELY NO CHOICE!*

4) Into the Inferno
Hollow Language and Hollow Democracies
What can we do, now that democracy and the free market are one?
By Arundhati Roy
July 17, 2009 "New Statesman"
  «While we’re still arguing about whether there’s life after death, can we add another question to the cart? Is there life after democracy? What sort of life will it be? By democracy I don’t mean democracy as an ideal or an aspiration. I mean the working model: western liberal democracy, and its variants, such as they are.» 
[ICH/newstatesman/Roy]

My comment: We are endlessly spruiked at, vis-à-vis democracy. Almost all and always lies; a properly functioning democracy requires at least these three: (1) a fully & honestly informed electorate, (2) a wide and honest choice of candidates, and (3) when elected, our so-called 'representatives' *must* represent us, we the sheople, all the while accounting for majority opinion & protection of minorities. What we are actually getting is *NONE* of these.

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A final comment: Yes, there are at least four themes, (1) oil, (2) invasions, (3) lies & (4) democracy - which blend into each other, and our lives. Yes, we need oil/gas (=fuel, but see mooted 'greenhouse' calamity) - and the pipelines to deliver them; *NO*, the way to do it is *not* war (think: so-called 'free' - or any markets, *not* coercion), and in so-called 'democracies;' we the sheople should be a) fully & honestly informed (i.e. not lied to), so that b) we can extend, withhold or withdraw our approval, as to how our lives might properly mesh with our once jewel-like planet's ecosphere. But Q1: What are we getting? A: Filthy & disgusting lies, in support of wars = murder to steal.

Q2: Is that really all there is?

Bon reading!

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PS Important!

Q: Why does the US murder to steal?

A: Because they simply can't ever be fair. A fair exchange is no robbery; a 'normal' resource-harvesting business would be cost-plus (i.e. some 'fair' mark-up, 10% say); the US wants to turn that on its head. Sooo, instead of the sovereign resource-owners getting the major benefit, the US wants just about the lot - less some unavoidable pittance for the natives. Naturally enough, most natives are unhappy with being so extremely exploited - thus the US murdering force...